Turf Twitter by The Greener Side Lawn & Landscaping

Welcome to Turf Twitter on the Alexandria Patches! As owner of The Greener Side Lawn & Landscaping, I am often approached with all kinds of landscaping questions from customers, friends and family.  Here, you will find my answers to these questions and much more.  Each week, I will offer timely gardening and landscaping tips.  I will also answer questions from readers like you!  You can submit your questions by simply emailing them to: PatchQuestions@GreenerSideLLC.com

Living in the Rosemont area, where my wife and I raise our two boys, I am dedicated to building a business that is focused around contributing to our community.  Whether working with schools to enhance their gardens or raising funds for charitable causes, our dedication to beautifying Alexandria extends beyond our business and with this blog we hope into your home as well.  Please join us each Wednesday to learn landscaping tips for the week and read our responses to some insightful questions. 

Tip of the Week: MULCHING! 

While mulching your beds no doubt helps to improve the look of your lawn, the benefits of mulching are far greater that its simply beauty.  Mulch is one of the best ways to protect and improve the health of your landscape plants. Mulch helps the soil to retain moisture and maintain a constant temperature, reduces weed growth, reduces soil erosion and encourages the growth of root systems.  Spring is the best time of year to put down a new application of mulch as flowers and new buds begin to emerge, and after your yard has been cleared of winter debris. Take care not to pile mulch up against trunks and stems, and apply it at least 6 to 12 inches beyond the drip line of the tree or shrub.  The finished mulch bed should be no more than 4 inches deep.  Applying mulch in this fashion will make your yard look marvelous!

Question of the Week: Is the Alexandria City Mulch Good or Bad?

During the spring, Alexandria City offers its residents mulch, which largely consists of the leaves picked up in the prior fall season. There are several advantages and disadvantages associated with using the city’s mulch.

Advantages:

• The mulch is entirely free if picked up or $40 if delivered.
• The mulch is completely organic because it is simply the prior years leaves (there may be some smaller amount of wood mulch from Christmas trees).
• Because the mulch has been sitting outside in a pile all winter, it has already started the process of decomposing.

Disadvantages:

• Because the mulch is primarily leaves, it does not achieve the same aesthetic look as shredded hardwood mulch that most individuals seek for their landscapes.
• The leaf mulch decomposes more rapidly than a wood mulch and will not last all summer.
• The mulch is stored outside and can contain allergens poison ivy, termites and/or carpenter ants.
• It doesn’t smell great. J

So, the short answer is the city’s mulch is not bad for your yard! In my personal experience, however, I use shredded hardwood mulch 95 percent of the time because it endures longer and achieves a look that many of my customers desire.

Happy Mulching!